How About a Cup of Tea?

The year was 1992, nothing special about this year in particular. I would like to tell you a story, however. My friend Dameion and I were just idiotic teens, dicking around, raising hell and such throughout our younger years. My name is Daniel, by the way. We lived in a small town pretty much in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere. The town was raised from the ground by British immigrants in the 1700's and the people kept their traditions alive even nearing the coming new mellinium. The people were nice, a little too nice. Always offering passer-bys tea with the phrase:

"How about a cup of tea?"

Daemion and I weren't from this town, we were southern boys from Georgia, we liked tea, but we liked it cold. Not steaming hot to where your mouth gets third degree burns. Every town has it's lunatic, or some sort of sketchy person. This one had an old crone name "Elizabethia". She was by far the creepiest old woman ever, not mean creepy, she never hurt anyone, but the things about her would make even the toughest of men shit themselves. But as legend go's, men with blue or green eyes were by far the most fearless. I had blue eyes, Daemion had a very dark green.

"Hey bro, you want to go fuck around with that old hag around the corner?" Daemion asked in a mischievous tone. I personally didn't want to mess with a creepy old woman, but I didn't want to puss out.

"Fine, but if we get caught I'm leaving your dumb-ass behind!" I exclaimed with irritation.

We walked around the corner into the forested area covering the milky-white house. It looked like it hadn't been taken care of in centuries. But for Daemion, it looked like a play-room full of goodies to smash. As we walked up to the gated path, Daemion and I pulled ourselves over the large iron gate. It was night time so it was perfect for a break-and-enter. Daemion used his little paper-clip and was able to pick the old door lock with ease.

"Dude, look at all this old-timey shit we can smash!" said Daemion in his usual happy toned voice.

I was not too amused. The woman didn't seem to be home, so this was our chance. We spent a good twenty minutes breaking vases, ripping pictures, and shattering glass figurines. That's when we heard the door creak hastily open. There she was. Tall, white-haired, and frail looking Elizabethia.

We were scared shit-less. Our hearts pounded in our chests. But she didn't look mad at all. In fact, she smiled at us in a sweet grand-motherly type smile. How the fuck could she smile with her living room destroyed?

"Ma'am, we will pay for all damages we have done to your property," shouted Daemion in a hoarse near-crying voice.

Elizabethia smirked and gave a little laugh.

"Oh my sweet little doves, there is no reason to be upset. We were all teenagers once, right?" she said happily.

"Come come, sit down and stay for a while." She urged us to sit. And we did nervously sit on the older sofa. She looked up at us and smiled.

"Now, how about a cup of tea?" Elizabethia asked sweetly. Daemion and I looked at each other with relief.

"Sure ma'am, I will come help you make the tea." Daemion said as he signed with relief.

"Oh how splendid! Come with me, the kettle is down-stairs, dear," she exclaimed with excitement.

As I sat there on the sofa I watched them go down the hallway and heard them drudge down the stairs. I waited patiently for them to return. Oddly, I heard a faint screech.

"Must be one of her fucking cats, old ladies like cats right?" I laughed to myself.

My ears perked toward the sound of Elizabethia coming towards me with a beautiful tray with two cups of steaming tea. She sat down, placing the tray on the little coffee table and look at me, before giving me my cup.

"Where's Daemion?" I asked as I sipped my scorching hot tea.

Elizabeth looked at me and grinned.

"Oh he's such a dear, offered to clean up while I took the tray up here." She said with a smirk.

I continued to sip my tea, and felt an odd stringy thing get caught between my teeth. I pulled it out and it was red. "What the fuck did she put in this tea?" I pondered to myself. But then I looked down, and I wish I shouldn't have.